Review: 2019 Mazda CX-3 GT

Now that the Mazda 2 is gone, the Mazda CX-3 is the smallest family vehicle that the company offers. It’s probably still another 2 or so years away from receiving a complete refresh but in it’s time, it has seen small improvements. 2019 however saw a few bigger changes to the CX-3 that made quite a big difference.

Because the CX-3 remains the same mechanically, how it drives, and interior volume as the 2018 model, I won’t bore you with the same review as I did on the 2018 CX-3 GT.

Exterior Differences

The 2019 Mazda CX-3 gets new tail lights and front grille tweaks. The tail lights are much more similar to those of the CX-5 SUV and give the rear of the CX-3 a more aggressive look. The front grille gets 4 double slats instead of the multiple chrome slats on the 2018 model. There are also new wheels available on this GT trimmed CX-3.

Interior Differences

While the exterior sees subtle changes, the interior sees the biggest and best changes. Firstly, there’s an armrest in the center! This has been something that has been missing in the CX-3 since its inception. This seemingly small change makes a huge difference in terms of overall comfort.

The center cup holders have also been tweaked and feature flaps to hold different sized cups. To be honest, these flaps don’t do such a good job because while they are of a two piece design, the inner piece doesn’t fold of its own accord but instead the bigger flap does. This in turn makes the cup holder area bigger than the actual cup which makes it move about when driving and doesn’t feel secure. I found myself having to manually fold the smaller flap so that cups could be more secure.

Further up the center console, the manual handbrake has been replaced with an electronic parking brake. The Sport mode selector switch has been relocated to the side of the gear selector. And finally the infotainment controls have been redesigned to look exactly like the ones in the 2018 Mazda 6 Turbo.

Further up the dashboard, the center horizontal vent that used to run across to the passenger door now stops half way across the dash. Underneath the vent, the trim piece that used to be in leather is now finished in suede. The circular air vents now have red accents for a bit of sporty feel.

The seats have a new pattern and are full leather instead of leather and suede as the 2018 CX-3 had. They are also a bit wider than the previous seats and feature a new high-density, vibration-absorbing foam underneath the leather.

Overall the changes may seem minor to some but they make a huge difference to the overall comfort of the 2019 Mazda CX-3. Especially that center armrest.